Silver's Tale
by biacebaolck
Summary: The tale of a young ottermaid named Silver. A few hours after discovering she had a big brother, Silver and friends must find out what the ancient prophecy that killed her mother is and keep Argento away from a horrible fate.
1. Prologue

**_Silver's Tale: _Prologue**

**_By: biacebaolck_**

A young ottermaid, in her mid-seasons was by the pond, leaning her back against the old ash tree that stood there, her eyes closed. From out of nowhere, an arrow went her way. She caught it easily and opened her eyes, turning to face the one who had shot it.

"Still testing my awareness, Skip?" Skipper Banjon smiled guiltily. Suddenly, a group of Dibbuns rushed out of the abbey doors and practically bulldozed her.

"Snowdrop, Thyme, Rhia, Rose, Parsley! Get off of me or else I'll be a flat otter in no time! That goes for you too, Sage!" The Dibbuns only giggled.

"Tell usa stowy, Silver!" said Thyme, a stocky little squirrel.

"What kind of story?" Silver asked. "I don't know any stories!"

"Sure ye do!" Skipper Banjon said, walking up to them. Hearing this, the Dibbuns were hysterical.

"Tell usa stowy! A stowy!" They said, practically yelling. The rest of the Dibbuns had just come on of the abbey doors and heard the yell. They ran all the way to the pond and plunked themselves in front of the ottermaid.

"Stowy! Stowy! Stowy!" All of them chanted. Silver chuckled.

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll tell you a story. My story." At this, Banjon plunked himself on the ground, with the Dibbuns.

"Tell us a story, then, marm!" He roared, and the Dibbuns cheered, glad that somebeast was on their side.

"Since when have _you_ called me 'marm', Skip?" Silver asked with mock-horror pasted on her face.

"Since ye didn't start tellin' yore story, that's when!" Banjon said. "Now get to it!" Silver smiled.

"Alright, alright." She made herself comfortable and began to tell her story. "I was born, of course that's pretty boring since we've all been born… My mother was Tiria, the High Rhulain; she was a Redwaller like everybeast here is and daughter of Skipper… I was happy, with a mother, a father and an uncle; my Uncle Grayson. I took them for granted though…. Pretty soon, I was stripped of happiness and only my father was alive. It happened…I think about….more than 15 seasons ago…"

Silver began telling of her life, and pretty soon, other Redwallers came and sat down to listen. Even Mother Lycian and Molemum Burbee sat down to listen as well. The abbey recorder, Girry, sat down as well, a huge stack of parchment, plenty of bottles of ink and sharpened quills at his side.

He began writing her tale, writing perfectly and accurately, because this was an opportunity not to be missed, because as Silver grew older, more and more of her memories became forgotten and the ottermaid would be able to replenish her memory and add to the story of her life as she got older.


	2. Death of a Mother

**_Silver's Tale: _Death Of A Mother**

**_By: biacebaolck_**

Silver was only 3 seasons old when her father told her that her mother had died. "How did mommy die?" she asked.

"She died fighting," he lied. "The vermin are to blame." The truth was that Silver's mother HAD died, but not by fighting. She died from vermin, that much was true. But, they killed her with 4 poison tipped arrows, killing he instantly on the spot and giving her no time to defend herself.

Silver stood as though frozen, shock pasted on her face. "Silver? Are ye alright?" Snapping awake from her shock, Silver sat on the ground and began to cry, soaking her silver fur.

"I hate vermin." She managed to sob out, tears streaming down her face. Rick knelt down and dried her tears with his paw and picked her up, holding her in his arms, rocking her back and forth like his late wife had taught him.

"Be strong. Yore an otter." She stopped crying to correct him.

"I'm only a kit." She corrected. "Mommy used to say so." He chuckled sadly.

"If yore mother were here, she'd step on me rudder fer callin' ye a an otter." Silver smiled a sad smile, her eyes still teary.

"Mommy _is_ alive, daddy," she pointed at a star in the night sky. "That's a new star, right?"

"So it is. Wot's yore point?"

"My point is this: That star's a new star and Uncle Grayson told me that whenever somebeast dies and they were good, they'd get to go up there, with all the other good spirits of goodbeasts." Her father smiled. Silver's eyes began to droop and she yawned, shifting in her father's strong arms to get comfortable.

"I'm lucky te still have ye," he whispered, but she was already asleep, lulled by the whispers of the wind.


	3. 13 Seasons Later

**_Silver's Tale: _13 Seasons Later**

_**By: biacebaolck**_

"Uncle, can you tell me a story?" Silver asked. Grayson the sea otter chuckled.

"Ye know I don' have any," he smiled and remembered when Silver was just a babe and had asked him the very same question.

"Yes you do," she insisted. "Everybeast has a story; their story is their own, the telling of their life." Grayson only sighed before telling her his story, the story he had told her 13 seasons ago.

"Pretty soon after I was 4 seasons, me mother died an' me father became so depressed 'e decided te drown 'is sorrows by drinkin'. Every mornin' he'd start hittin' me an' whapping me rudder. Drove me crazy! One day when I was 18 seasons, I decided enough was enough."

"Good for you!" Silver congratulated. He continued.

"I ran away. I grabbed me sling pouch an' sling an' grabbed the haversack mother used to use and filled it with the provisions that I picked from the garden mother an' I kept secret from father. Then, just as I was leavin', father saw me. Know what I did?"

"What did you do?" she asked, mystified, even though she had heard this story 13 seasons past.

"I ran. I ran like the wind. I stopped runnin' 'round 'ere where I fainted of exhaustion. Never rested one bit when I ran. Yore father, he was just 10 seasons back then, he found me and his mother nursed me back to health. They said I could stay, so I did. Had nowhere else te go. Then, yore father met Tiria, they married and had you. I stayed here because you seemed te like me and I was sure my father wasn't goin' te roll out the welcome mat when I went back home. So, I've been here ever since. That's me story."

"Must be horrible to lose a mother and have a drunk for a father."

"At least yore lucky yore dad ain't a drunkard." Grayson argued and he chuckled. Silver just grinned. Her uncle was the best uncle anybeast could have and nobeast could find a fully-grown sea otter with the same good sense of humour like an ottermaid her age. Silver was happy. Life was perfect.

Little did she know that life was not going to get perfect any longer.


	4. Death of Grayson

**_Silver's Tale: _Death of Grayson**

_**By: biacebaolck**_

It was a new morning so Silver opened the door to Grayson's room to wake him up. Most mornings, Grayson would be the first to be awake. But right now… Silver went over to him; his scarred form on the ground, his back to her. Grayson always slept on the ground because he said it helped get up easier if it was ever needed.

"Uncle," she shook the old sea otter. "Uncle?" She took his paw. It felt cold to the touch. "Uncle!"

She didn't need to run to her father's room, partly because he was out of a visit to a faraway place called 'Redwall Abbey' to visit his father-in-law. She didn't need to run to another holt's cavern. She already knew.

She held the cold, limp paw that had always ruffled the fur on top of her head every morning (no matter how many seasons old she was), the paw that had thrown a throwing knife from a large distance and the knife had hit its target, dead center, the paw that had shown her how to use a throwing knife. She began talking to him, about the places he had told her about, about the places they could have gone to together, about…everything!

When she finally looked out the window, it was night. She lay down and curled up into a ball beside him, still holding his paw and then, only then, when she closed her eyes, did she allow herself to cry.

The next morning, she woke up and wiped the tears off with the back of her paw. She stood up and walked to her room. Closing the door behind her, she sat on the ground, pushing the blanket that used to belong to Grayson before he gave it to her when she was a babe, to her nose and breathed in. Her eyes became watery as the scent of her Uncle came and went. Even though the scent was faint, it was there, and that was enough for her.

She lay down and laid there all night and all the next morning. Nightmares pursued memories until they became one. She awoke various times, breathing heavily after experiencing the combined. Laying her head back down, she would fall back to sleep, only to wake up again a few hours later.

The next evening came and went. Silver never moved, excluding the facts that she woke up from the nightmares and memories combined and settled her head back to get comfortable. She knew it wouldn't be fast or easy, but she wanted it, knowing that she wanted nothing else. So, grimly and patiently, Silver waited for death.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**As you can guess, the timeline is a bit after 'High Rhulain'.**

**Please review! Oh and, would you keep this next section a secret from biacebaolck? It's Blackbolt52003 (me) and Elocin (my insanity) that are writing all the Redwall stories and uploading them on her account (actually, I write them, Elocin and I proofread together and she uploads). I am proud to say that I'm a master hacker…**

**No, I'm just joshing (joking) with you. I peeked at her passwords book while biacebaolck was out for abacus (is this how you spell it?) class. So whatever you do, don't tell biacebaolck about me looking in her passwords book!**

**Besides, she _knows_ we're the ones writing the Redwall stories, and she shows us the reviews. But, she'll be furious once she finds out about the passwords book incident… No, more than furious, she'll go insane with fury and I CANNOT live with another Elocin-act-a-like!**

**Maybe I should issue a contest for an otter's name… I need a name but my stupid brain can't think anything up! Then I _will _start a contest. So, the CONTEST for the otter's name is on!**

**Bye, until next time!**


	5. Skipper

**Skipper**

_**By: biacebaolck**_

Her eyes were open and full of tears. It had been three days since her uncle's death. Grayson had not actually been her uncle. She just called him that, but he didn't seem to mind. She sniffed.

_'What would uncle say if he saw me right now?'_ she thought. '_He'd say that if he were still alive, he'd slap me silly.'_ Then she remembered. Cold, clouded over eyes.

She trembled, thinking of the late sea otter's cold, limp body. What would it feel like, to be dead? Would she be some sort of ghoul? She knew she shouldn't be thinking of things like these as they would only give her nightmares, but she couldn't help it.

She smiled sadly at the memory of Grayson, a true uncle and like a second father to her. Wiping her tears away, she stood up, folded the blanket and placed it back on the bed. Stretching, she heard the cracks of her bones. _'I need to run before I break my bones by accident!'_ she thought.

Opening the door of her room and walking out, she stopped outside the cavern. It was before dawn so the sun hadn't rose yet. Smiling happily, she began her usual early morning run all around the holt caverns in the area.

All the holts were spread far apart for privacy. The nearest holt cavern was thirty paces away. The whole run would take until mid-day which would be prefect for her. Running was one of the few things that kept her mind empty of everything except the urge to keep on running.

When she got back, it was exactly mid-day and she was out of breath. She was tired, but happy. Walking back inside the cavern, the memory of her uncle made her feel cold all over.

"Silver! Yore back!" She turned to her left to see her father and an older sea otter sitting down on the floor, weapons out for sharpening. "Where's Grayson? He's usually up an' at 'em!"

Silver looked at her footpaws, biting her lip and blinking back the tears. How could she tell her father about uncle? Rick, her father, knew something was wrong. You don't raise your daughter without knowing her personality. "Wot's wrong?" he asked.

"He's gone to the Dark Forest Gates," she said, looking up and trying not to cry in front of the guest. "He went the morning after you left." Rick turned to the old stranger, his face grim.

"I'm sorry ye won' be able te meet my adopted brother. Grayson was like a second father te my daughter, Silver."

"This is yore daughter?" the otter asked. "She looks like Tiria, except she's got yore eyes an' silver fur! She's one o' a kind, Rick!"

"Aye," Rick chuckled. "An' yore right, she _does_ looks more like Tiria."

"Not to be rude," Silver interrupted. "But do I know you?"

"Hohoho! 'Do ye know me?' O' course! Don' ye recognize Skip, yore dad's father-in-law?"

"Skip? As in Skipper?" she asked. "Isn't that what the leader of the group of otters at Redwall is-"

"Yes, marm." She gasped as it hit home.

"YOU'RE MY GRANDFATHER?" Skipper clapped his paws over his ears at the volume.

"Yes, I'm yore Grandpa!" he said, removing his paws from his ears. "But call me Skip or Skipper. If'n ye call me Grandpa or Grandfather, I'll feel like an ol' codger!"

"Silver, do you have Grayson's farewell gift?" Rick asked. "I remember he carved it himself and gave it to you for safe keeping."

"Yeah," she nodded. She plucked it from its hiding place under a compartment in the floor. Rick stood up, putting his blades away, back into their various hiding places.

"Come on, Skip, ye ol' codger. Ye come too. Grayson'll appreciate it." He told his father-in-law. Skipper Banjon nodded, wondering what was going on.

They walked to sea, which was a long walk, since it was summer and Rick and Silver had been in their summer home. When they reached it, Silver took the carved wooden otter and passed it onto her father, paws trembling. She hadn't done the 'farewell' in a long time, the only time being when it was her mother's farewell.

Rick took it and waded out to sea until the seawater was up to his waist. He lay the little carved otter on its back and watched with Banjon and Silver, as it drifted away into the fog unseen, but still floating, still representing Grayson.

_'I'll miss you, uncle."_ She thought, still watching where the wooden sea otter had drifted off, out of sight. _'I'll really miss you. Take care. And when I come, please be there for me, like you've always have. Please.'_


	6. It was just a dream, right?

**It was just a dream, right?**

**_By: biacebaolck_**

That night, it took a long time for Silver to get to sleep. She was worrying about how she would live her life without Grayson. Finally, too tired to think anymore, she fell asleep.

Hey…where was she? She looked around. Everywhere she looked…fog… "I'm asleep, right?" she asked aloud, not really expecting an answer. Well, at least she tried. No sound came out. Suddenly, she had a feeling that she was being watched.

She turned around, a mouse warrior standing behind her, carrying the most magnificent sword and a smile that calmed her down. She felt as though she could trust him and followed when he beckoned. Then, he whispered into her ear,

"_Thou will find a sleeping otter when you run again next morn,_

_For Skipper, twill be the best surprise of all,_

_Run when thou wakes at dawn,_

_And make up an excuse to travel with them to Redwall."_

"What?" she tired to ask, but nothing came out. He smiled again and she woke up. She sat up immediately. "Weird," she said. "That dream was weird. And…it was just a dream…right?" No answer came. "Great, juuuust great," she muttered. "First I have a weird dream and now I'm talking to the walls."

She walked out of the cavern and found saw that it was dawn. '_Might as well run,' _she thought, barely remembering what the mouse in the dream told her.

She was halfway done when she noticed a snoozing scarred otter, leaning on a cavern wall. She smiled. "Morning, Shellhound," she said. Her father didn't approve of her speaking with the outlaw, but she didn't know why. Shellhound was very friendly.

"Hello Silver," Shellhound yawned, rubbed his eyes, smiled at her and went back to sleep. She laughed and continued on her morning run. Suddenly, she screeched to a halt. Sleeping otter? She turned back to the outlaw. Well, he_ had _certainly been sleeping…

"Shellhound?" She shook him gently by the shoulder. He cracked open one eye and then the other.

"Wot's got yore rudder in a knot?" he asked. She ignored the question. Odd. That was most unlike her.

"Shellhound, do you know anyone with the title of Skipper?" she asked. He visibly stiffened.

"Why do you ask?" he ventured cautiously.

"Do you?"

"Yes," he nodded once. "Wot's up with him? Is 'e here?" Now was her turn to nod. "Well… How's the old codger doin'? Did 'e happen te drop by?"

"Well…he came back with my father…" she stared at his angry face when she mentioned Rick, but the furious emotion went as fast as it came. "Is…something between you and my father?"

"D'you think I could have a word with Skipper?" he asked, avoiding the question entirely.

"Sure," she shrugged. "Come on, it's only another few score of paces!"

"Ugh," groaned Shellhound, getting up and stretching, now running after her. "Tell me again why you like to run so much?" For the first time in days, Silver smiled.

"You get to run as fast as you can, and nobeast ever says, 'Run faster!' or 'Run slower!' or 'Quit running!' to a serious runner. Besides," She flashed a grin at him. He was beside her now. "Mother would have loved for me to keep on running, she loved to run."

"I should know," Shellhound muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," he quickly ran ahead. She caught up to him with ease. He was breathing heavily now… She looked back at where he had started and scowled.

"You only ran twoscore (a score is twenty so two score is forty) paces and you're now breathing heavily! You _really_ need to get out more and RUN!"

"Well soooooooooorry," he muttered. "Not _all_ of us run daily."

"Well, you should!" Silver said angrily. Shellhound laughed and ran ahead, as if her angry words had given him strength. She ran after him, and pretty soon, she could see the cavern. "HEY SKIP!" She called out.

Skipper jumped. "Have a little respect fore yore elders." He moaned. Shellhound smiled.

"I'm giving you as little respect as possible, Skip." Banjon stared at the outlaw.

"Are you-?" Shellhound nodded, glaring at the Skipper to silence him. He gestured to Silver. Banjon nodded, smiling. "T'is the best surprise of all, this is."

'_Now having to make up an excuse to go to this 'Redwall' with them is all that's left.'_ She thought. '_Hopefully it'll be easy…'_ But her life, as it seems to do often enough wasn't going to let her have it.


	7. Going to Redwall

**Author's Note:**** Oh my god! This is the longest chapter written for Silver's Tale yet! And to those good people who reviewed:**

**_random person 1- _**_You love it? Why, thank you… And I certainly will keep it up._

**_biacebaolck- _**_Thanks, sis._

**_Billios- _**_I've made this chapter longer for your sake, my friend, so enjoy it!_

**_Drop Your Oboe- _**_Yep. Shellhound is…Leatho, all right. I didn't make him age too much… I made him just a few seasons older than Silver, that's all… I messed up his real age from when he fought with Tiria, the High Rhulain, against Riggu what's-his-name so he's a bit younger…

* * *

_

**Going to Redwall**

_**By: biacebaolck**_

"Come on, father, please?" begged Silver. Her father, Rick, stood stern before her, shaking his head.

"I said, no. 'Tis too dangerous fore a lass like yoreself te go out te Redwall, even if Skip an'- " Here, Rick glared at Shellhound who glared back. "Shellhound are goin' too."

"Don' ye think yore goin' too harsh on her?" Skipper Banjon asked.

"I can manage my daughter, thank ye very much!" Rick said angrily. Silver frowned and her face darkened.

"Mother would have let me go." She said. This was true. Grayson used to say that Tiria, her mother, and her had a lot in common and thought the same way. Rick saw the same darkened look Tiria gave him when he had refused to let her travel to Redwall to visit her father, on his daughter.

"Fine," he sighed, knowing he couldn't win against that look. Silver face brightened and she hugged her father.

"Thanks!" Shellhound raised an amused eyebrow, smirking at Rick. Silver didn't notice it, but Rick glared so powerfully at the outlaw that Shellhound had to look away. But Silver _did _notice the fact that Shellhound had a rapier gripped tightly in his paw, as though he was longing to slay somebeast but didn't because of something.

"Why are you gripping that rapier so tightly, Shellhound?" she asked out of plain curiosity. Taken aback by this unexpected question, the outlaw struggled to find a reason.

Finally, he muttered, "Just in case," Silver raised an eyebrow by didn't say anything. Suddenly, she realized something.

"I'll be right back," she told them all and ran back into the cavern to retrieve a small bluish light watery colored stone (it could fit into her paw when she closed it fully) that her mother had given her when she was 3 seasons, a bit of time before she died. For some strange reason, Silver didn't want to leave the stone alone. Perhaps it was the bond to her mother she felt whenever she closed her paws around it or perhaps it was because she was lonely and the stone seemed to comfort her.

When she came back, she saw her father and Shellhound arguing. Not wanting to intrude on something important, she hid from their sight, but she could still see and hear what they were saying and doing.

"I'm tellin' ye, NO!" yelled Shellhound angrily.

"Silver has a right te know. And ye should be the beast te tell her."

"No." The outlaw's eyes flashed angrily. "I've hid it from her all these seasons and I will continue te."

"Rick is right." Interrupted Banjon. "Silver has a right te know. She has a right te know everything about ye. How ye ran-"

"SHUT UP!" Shellhound roared, paws gripping at the fur on his head, as though prepared to rip them out. "I DON'T WANT TE HEAR ANOTHER WORD ON TH' SUBJECT, D'YE HEAR ME?"

Stone faced, Rick and Banjon glared at him, eyes narrowed. But they didn't press the subject further. "Very well." Banjon spoke for both him and Rick. Silver's back was pressed tightly against the wall and slid down all the way until she landed on her rudder. Her eyes were of shock.

Shellhound… He had a secret… And his secret…was it so important that he refused to tell her? What did her father and her grandfather mean when she had a right to know? Her brain racked with questions but she had no answers.

Finally, after closing her eyes and closing her paws tightly around the blue stone, she found the courage to stand back up again, creep back a couple of steps and then walk onward, out of the cavern, stone clutched tightly in one paw and act as though she hadn't heard anything.

"Hey, everyone," she said with fake cheeriness. "Why the angry stone faces?"

"Er, what?" Rick said, not expecting this. "Oh, uh…"

"Just somethin' yore father said." Shellhound said hurriedly.

"What did my father say?" she asked, with fake curiosity.

"Nothin'." Rick interrupted, glaring at the outlaw. "I said nothin'. That's what gets 'im so angry because 'e can't stand stayin' quiet…" he glared even more furiously at him. "_Right,_ Shellhound?" Shellhound glared back, but only half-heartedly.

"Of course," he said icily.

"Skip," she looked at Banjon. "Why do father and Shellhound hate each other?"

"Eh?" The Skipper had been caught completely off guard. "Sorry, Silver, what did ye say?"

"I said, 'Why do father and Shellhound hate each other?'" She repeated. '_I wonder what he'll tell me…'_ she wondered. '_I hope it's something truthful…'_ She felt a pang of sorrow. '_If Grayson was here, I'd know for sure **he'd** tell me the truth.'_

"It's just that…" Banjon struggled to find an excuse and still tell the truth to his granddaughter at the same time. "Yore father an' Shellhound 'ave different ideas on things an' they don' always agree or respect each other's ideas."

'_That sounds like the truth…'_ she thought. "Oh…ok…" she said at last. She could feel everyone's uneasiness in the air. '_Oh dear, I've gone and made them unsure whether to tell me more or not.'_

The three otters chose to not tell her and they all journeyed on to a boat, that Rick had built himself with some help from Shellhound. "Why are you coming along, father?" She asked out of curiosity.

"Te keep an eye on ye, missie." He scowled furiously. "Can't trust _him_…" he muttered, not realizing that his daughter had heard. She stayed silent all through the boat ride, the blue stone still clutched in her paw. She was amazed when they arrived at Mossflower woods. Everyone got out of the boat and the Skipper returned it to the Guosim shrews.

"Guosim?" she echoed when their Log a log had introduced him.

"Gurrilla Union O' Shrews In Mossflower," Her grandfather explained. "Ye take the first letter o' each word and it becomes Guosim."

The sheer beauty of the place made her speechless. These woods were so different from her home. How had her mother managed to leave such a wonderful place without any regrets?

"DUCK!" a young male voice called. Silver, of course, ducked, and just in time too. A knife pierced the air where her head had been and landed, stuck deep, into the stump of once huge tree.

She whirled around and glared at him. A young otter, about her age, with an apologetic look, rushed forward and struggled to yank the knife out. She rolled her eyes. "Let me at it," she said when he was nearly close to yanking his arms off. He did so.

She passed the blue stone from one paw to the other and used her free paw to grip the hilt of the blade and yank it loose with one pull. She gave it to him. "Next time, don't aim to chop off my head."

He laughed half-heartedly. "Sorry…" he looked sheepishly at his footpaws. She rolled her eyes but smiled.

"It's ok," she told him. "I'm Silver, who're you?" Suddenly, he was all charm.

"I'm…never mind, I'll tell you later… Anyway, did you hear the story? It's all over the building!"

"What building?" she asked.

"Redwall… Anyway, did you hear the latest story? The one that's all over the building?" he asked.

"What's all over the building?"

"The roof." He said. She realized the pun and started to laugh. He laughed along too. Rick, Banjon and Leatho (Shellhound) heard them and watched as Silver continued to laugh and make jokes with her new friend.

"Wonder wot 'is name is…" whispered Banjon to Rick.

"Mayhap we'll know in time…" Rick told him. Banjon nodded and elbowed him, gesturing to Shellhound who was watching the two, a scowl on his face and his eyes narrowed.

"Wot's 'is problem? It's none o' 'is business…" Actually, Banjon was wrong. This _was_ all his business because whatever Silver did was his responsibility. He had promised this to a certain female ottermaid who had come from Redwall to be High Rhulain.


	8. Descendant of the Facemakers

**Author's Note:**** Okay, since there's no (well, at least I THINK so) Squirrelqueen in High Rhulain, I'll just make one up… Err, Squirrelqueen Amber? Wait…that's already been used. Oh well, whatever… And sorry it took so long… It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I have a good reason. You see, a BIG, BIG, BIG writer's block came up to me one day and—**

**The Cast of Silver's Tale: LIAR!**

**Me: But it's true!**

**The Cast of Silver's Tale: Oh, okay...**

**Squirrelqueen Amber:We're jumping to conclusions too much...**

**Me: Yep. Now, err,on with the chapter?

* * *

**

**Descendant of the Facemakers**

_**By: biacebaolck**_

"Brom," Silver grinned. "What's the scariest horse ever?"

"I dunno… Err…one that scares you?"

"Nope!" she chirped. "A 'Night-**mare**'!" Brom realized the pun and soon, both he and Silver were laughing their guts out.

"How about this: What has one entrance and three exits?"

"A sweater?"

"Aww…you guessed it ALREADY?" Brom laughed, slapping his thigh. The silver-furred ottermaid only smiled.

The two were sitting in the shade of the huge ash tree beside the abbey pond and exchanging jokes and riddles. They had been through about twoscore (40) jokes and riddles so far. Finally, Brom decided to try something new.

"Okay…erm…" He scratched his head, thinking hard and racking his brain for more. "Um…two brothers were born on the exact same day and had the exact same parents but they're not twins. How's this possible?"

"Gah…" Silver frowned at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "I give up! You just HAD to pick a hard one, didn't you?"

He grinned, unfazed by her angry outburst. "The answer's this: They were triplets! The first two were mentioned, but the third of the trio wasn't…heheh…"

"Okay…" Silver massaged her temples, her temper having improved. "Here's one: What did a worker shout out when he got a BETTER new job?"

"Uh… 'Won't mommy be happy?'" Brom suggested.

She shook her head, grinning. "Nope. It was: 'No more quills, no more books, no more boss's dirty looks!"

After the two otters finished rolling around on the ground, laughing their innards out, they started to do puns instead of the usual joke, riddle then continue on with the cycle again.

"What do you get if you cross a brook and a stream?"

"Wet paws!" The silver-furred ottermaid laughed. "What does a good farmer get and grow if he works VERY hard?"

"Tired!" Brom hooted even more with more intense laughter.

* * *

Shellhound glared at the two laughing figures in the distance. He was seated on the bottom of the abbey steps, keeping a close eye on Silver and ESPECIALLY that otter with her. He obviously did not approve of their close friendship. How could he not? Imagine…the daughter of the High Rhulain…fraternizing with a mere joke and prankster? Unthinkable! 

"Oy, Skip." Logalog called to his old friend. The otter was helping the Guosim leader fix up his weapon. "What's with Shellhound there, eh? Wonder what's got his tail in a knot…hrm….this'll need more sharpening…" Logalog began rubbing the metal of the small sword against a rough rock.

"I honestly don' know…" Skipper Banjon said. "Ye'd think 'e could lighten up a bit…"

Rick was glaring daggers at the outlaw. "Doesn't matter whether she likes 'im or not… Shellhound's bein' too overprotective of 'er, if'n ye ask me."

"But nobeast's askin' ye." Skip pointed out.

"Well….ye KNOW what I mean…" Rick scowled as Shellhound drew out a blade and began sharpening it roughly with a stone he had found, as though frustrated and angry and wanting to release some pent-up feeling.

* * *

"You know…" Brom was saying to Silver. "When I was a Dibbun, I'd always play 'Ball' with my friends. And I always wondered why the ball was getting bigger as it came at me… Then…it HIT me! Literally…" Brom chuckled. 

Silver shot him a worried look. "Were you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…wasn't much of a bump…healed a few days after…" he grinned sheepishly, his cheeks colouring slightly, showing how embarrassed he was. Silver didn't notice this.

"Alright then…" Silver murmured, unconvinced. Then, a red she-squirrel came headfirst down the ash tree and tossed Brom something SO fast, that it was practically a blur.

The otter caught it with ease and his eyes brightened. "Thank you, Brioka! I've been looking for this for AGES!" Brom began skimming through the pages of the book, as though looking for a certain page…or rather, a certain JOKE.

"What's he looking for?" Silver asked her other new best friend.

Brioka grinned. "He's just looking for some jokes he's forgotten…that's a jokebook, ya know."

Silver eyed her friend's dirtied clothes, twigs sticking out of her fur, dirt decorating her face, paws and bushy tail. "Does your mother approve of this?"

The daughter of the Squirrelqueen snorted. "Like heck I'd care what she thinks. Mother's too overprotective. Huh…I had to put FIVE squirrels unconscious… Was pretty hard pressing their nerve points to get them to fall asleep without them noticing where I was… If they found me…they'd bring me back to mother… Trust me…I had NO intention of WHATEVER to take another bath. Yick!" She stuck out of tongue childishly, expressing her immense dislike of baths.

"Hmmm…" Silver spotted some parchment sticking out of Brioka's bag. "Did you plan on doing something with that parchment?"

"Huh?" Brioka looked down and pulled out the parchment, handing it to Silver to hold onto as she dug further into her bag. "Hey…this isn't my bag! Tch…I must have grabbed the Facemaker's by accident!"

"Facemaker?" Silver said, excitedly. "What's that?"

"Oh, of course. You're still new around here, aren't you?" Brioka sat down, shrugging off the bag. "Facemakers come from a long line of artists that can see inside a beast's soul. If they are good or evil, they can tell. The least experienced of them, know the techniques of the most experienced, but cannot do most of them. While the most experienced can just see off the bat if one is good or evil…the least experienced can at least tell when they are at least nearly finished their drawing of that beast. A Facemaker's job is quite difficult. They CAN draw what they see…but their drawing reflects the personality of the beast they are drawing."

"Brioka…" Silver said quietly, passing back the bag. "Did the Facemaker ever draw YOU?"

"Me? Hm…yeah…but…not really to my liking though… He started…that otter started pretty well…but I ended up with a drawing with a scowling squirrelmaid with a sly glint in my eyes. He says it reminded him of a thief…honestly! I don't steal!"

"Suuuuure, you don't…" Brom gave an amused smile before continuing to flip through the pages of the jokebook. Brioka scowled and grabbed the nearest thing on hand (er, paw). Which was…the satchel. She threw it at his head and he went down with a _thunk!_

"Brom!" Silver was by the otter's side immediately and pulled the bag off of him, and cupped her paws in the cook pond water, before trickling the water down the bump.

"Ah…that feels good…" he murmured drowsily, before falling unconscious. Silver dumped out the contents of the bag, which were several scraps of parchment and some charcoal sticks. She then folded up the bag to the size, a BIT bigger than Brom's head.

"Smooth move, Brioka…" Silver said sarcastically, as she lifted Brom's head gently and placed the folded bag under his head as she let him down.

"Don't know why you care for that oaf…stupid otter, always making jokes and wisecracks…" Brioka scowled, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Otter…" Something clicked in Silver's mind. She turned to face the she-squirrel. "Brioka…"

"What?" Brioka's face turned back to the ottermaid's.

"You said that the Facemaker was an otter…are ALL Facemakers otters?"

"Guess so…" The squirrelmaid shrugged uncaringly. "Why d'you ask?"

Silver said nothing, but picked up a piece of charcoal and parchment, stared at Abbess Lycian who was on the battlements having tea with Molemum Burbee and started sketching. Brioka just watched her best friend until curiosity got the better of her and she peeked over Silver's shoulder. And gasped.

"Whoa…SILVER…you never said that you were a Facemaker!" Silver smiled at this compliment and gazed admirably at the drawing before her. The Mother Abbess's kind features showed and her face showed wisdom beyond her seasons.

"I never knew I was one…" Silver beamed. "Maybe I can ask my dad about it!"

"Sure…and I'll monitor Brom. If he wakes up and starts making fun of me…" Brioka picked up the fallen joke book. "This book's going in the waters."

"I never knew you could be so cruel!" Silver joked as she took her piece of parchment and headed to her father.

"What do you MEAN you NEVER knew!" Brioka's loud voice called out after her. "I'm ALWAYS this cruel!" Both females laughed.

"Father, father!" Rick looked up from his work.

"Wot's wron', Silver?"

"Father, look at my picture!" Rick did so and he visibly paled. "Father, are you alright?"

"Wot's goin' on 'ere?" Shellhound curiously took a look. He paled as well.

"Father, am I related to the Facemakers?" She questioned. Rick sighed and plopped down on the grass. Shellhound wavered his weight on both footpaws before sitting down also. Silver sat down before her father. "Well, father?"

"Well, suppose it wouldn' do ye any good not te know…" Rick sighed, running a coarse paw through his thick fur. "Yes, ye are related to th' Facemakers. Me family was known as the Holt o' Facemakers. O' course, Silver, d'ye know why I hid it from ye?"

"Because if otherbeasts found out her talent, they'd be plaguin' 'er, day an' night te draw them… 'Course, a Facemaker can' change what they draw… They draw what they see in a beast's soul. 'Caused a lot of trouble there…" Shellhound supplied.

"What do you mean?"

"What _Shellhound_ means," Silver noticed that her father emphasized the outlaw otter's name, but decided not to comment on it. "Is that Facemakers 'ave a difficult life. They're constantly hidin'. Because, once a badbeast looks at the Facemaker's picture o' them, they gets angry, 'cause they don' like what they see. But, since it's their true nature and most beasts don' like seeing the truth, they punish the Facemaker for drawin' 'em that way. Facemakers were constantly runnin'. That's why, I decided not to teach ye, but seems ye learned it on yore own."

"Father…" Silver said, almost dreamily as she turned to the abbey gates. "Did you know that there's a beast out there?"

"Eh?" Rick and Shellhound both looked and nearly jumped out of their fur, before rushing over to open the gates for Squirrelqueen Amber. Of course, Skipper Banjon noticed the Squirrelqueen first and opened the gates for her.

"Hello, marm. What brings ye here te our humble abbey?"

"I'm looking for my daughter, Skip." Her voice was sharp as her eyes looked around the abbey. "And it appears I've found here." She marched over to Brioka. "Brioka, didn't you know you nearly scared me out of my fur! Why did you go without telling anybeast?"

"Because I hate baths."

Shellhound tried not to laugh out loud but didn't succeed in doing so as he snorted. Rick tried to keep a straight face but his shoulders were trembling. Skipper Banjon looked at the antics of the outlaw and his son-in-law and pretty soon, he was laughing.

"It isn't funny!" The Squirrelqueen glared at them. They stopped, and Amber began giving them a lecture on manners. Sensing the distraction was perfect, Brioka slipped out from her mother's view, grabbed the contents of the Facemaker satchel and dropped them in and rushed over to Silver, grabbing the ottermaid's paw.

"C'mon…" She muttered. "Brom can find us, doesn't even matter whether he wants to or not. He'll find us. Now c'mon!"

"W- Where are we going?" Silver said shakily.

"To return the satchel. What else? That poor Facemaker must be worried sick. Besides, you might get more answers from the Facemaker than your father, your grandfather and Shellhound ANY DAY."

"But, but, I haven't told my father!" Brioka rolled her eyes as they strolled out hurriedly out the abbey gates.

"You are SUCH a good daughter…" She said sarcastically. Silver had to smile at that tone.

"Thank you, I try." She said with equal sarcasm. They stopped at a forest of trees and Brioka grinned mischievously at the ottermaid.

"I'm liking you better and better."

"Thank you, I try my hardest." She grinned back and the two maids laughed.

"Is that my satchel?" They both looked up to see the face of a male otter just a season older than them, coming towards them. He stopped short when seeing Silver's face. "Is that you, Silver? It's me, Argento!"

'_Argento?'_ Silver thought '_That sounds familiar somehow…'_ Laughing, Argento gave Silver a big hug. The silver-furred ottermaid's face was so red, that even a tomato would be jealous. Brioka laughed at her friend's reaction.

"I take it you don't remember your big brother?" The words took a serious impact on Silver as Argento let go.

"Big brother?" She repeated, questioningly.

"Yep." He gave a grin. "I'm Argento, your big brother by a season, and the adopted son of Rick."

"Adopted?"

"Yep." He gave another grin. "And that means, you're my little sister!"

Brioka grinned mischievously at her friend's shocked look and waved. "I'd better get going now, before Silver blows a fuse!" And she ran off laughing, leaving a smiling Argento and a fuming Silver behind.

"BRIOKA!"

* * *

"How come I've never seen you before at home?" 

"Oh, I've been there." Argento said absentmindedly, checking over his materials from the satchel. "It's just that I left when you were just a little bundle of fur. I was three seasons old then, and you were only two, so I don't think you'd remember…"

"Why'd you leave?" He froze and then relaxed.

"Because of father. Our father, Rick, didn't want me to become a Facemaker… But, from the very moment I was born…" Argento placed a paw over his heart. "I was born to be a Facemaker…nothing will change that… Of course, father didn't think so, so I left…"

"There has to be another reason!" Silver said angrily. "I don't think you, of all otters, would just leave without a good reason! And the Facemaker excuse won't work on me, Argento!"

"If you really want to find out…then, when you go back home to Green Isle, I'll come back too…I just hope…" Argento grimaced. "That father forgave me."

That last sentence left Silver wondering what Argento had done for him to leave the Holt altogether. '_Perhaps time will tell…'_ She thought.


	9. Argento, the Messenger of Death

**Author's Note:**** Sorry it's been so long, folks! To make up for it, the chapter is a bit longer than I intended. Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

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**Argento, The Messenger of Death**

_**By: biacebaolck**_

"Hello…_father._" Argento addressed Rick dryly, almost SPITTING out the name. It seemed to many of the beasts at Redwall that the father and son did not get along very well. Brom just stared at Argento, opening and closing his mouth, as though wanting to say something, but unsure of what to say and how to put it in words. "It has been a while."

"Long enough." Rick replied, in the same cold-toned voice. "I suppose ye still have tha'?"

Argento gripped his bag strap tightly, his eyes narrowing, and he glowered at his father. "Of course. Did you expect me to abandon it when I abandoned my Holt? This is what I **_LIVE_** for. It is my destiny. I cannot throw it away like you did me."

"I did not throw ye away. Ye chose yore path when ye chose te fulfill that darn prophecy tha' killed yore mother."

"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Silver asked. Argento and Rick did not reply. Silver waited, but soon even her large amount of patience was wearing thin and she crossed her arms, bit her lip angrily and tapped her footpaw on the ground. "I'm waiting… Could somebeast explain, please?"

Brom gave a tired, worn-out sigh, as though he had been living in this world for many seasons, more than anybeast. This attracted the attention of all Redwallers, including Rick, Silver and Argento. "You might want to ask Shellhound, Silver. I think he knows." He got up from his sitting place under the shade of the tree. Brioka ran down the tree and twitched her nose.

"Hate to say this, Silv, but I agree with the Brom idiot."

"HEY!"

"Well, you **_ARE_** and IDIOT, IDIOT!" Brioka hissed and both she and Brom had a glaring competition. Silver held back a laugh, but a smile appeared on her lips as she left them to find Shellhound. As expected, the outlaw was by the pond, watching it ripple delicately across the surface of the water. He picked up a rather flat stone, about the size of his paw and flicked it towards the pond.

It skipped eight times across the water surface before it sunk with a large splash. Shellhound watched the rippling of the water yet again, quiet, and possibly thinking. But, about what?

"Err…Shellhound?"

"Hrm?" Shellhound turned his head, as though just realizing the ottermaid was there. His eyes were vaguely clouded over and his face expressionless.

"Erm…I was wondering…what is the prophecy that killed my mom?"

"Hn." Shellhound grunted, turning his attention back to the pond and picking up another stone, and flicking it across the surface yet again. He watched the ripples but supplied no answer to Silver's question. The said ottermaid bit her lower lip as she twiddled her paws together, unsure of how to get the importance of the answer to the question she had just asked to Shellhound's brain.

"It's really impor---"

"Th' prophecy that killed yore mum…is th' prophecy tha' also applies to yore brother, Argento." Silver blinked.

"W- Wait a second here! Nobeast knew Argento's name yet! How did you---?"

"Know? Figger it out?" Shellhound shrugged. "'Tis simple. Ye recognize yore ol' best friend after any while if'n ye been thinkin' 'bout 'im for quite some time…" The silver ottermaid was silent, digesting this new information when Shellhound spoke again. "Th' prophecy that killed yore mum, is a prophecy that'll kill Argento in due time. Nobeast knows who prophesized it. 'Tis been known as long as time. Ye ken ask anybeast that's been alive fore summit, or 'un that knows stuff like these. They all fear it. 'Tis a curse to many a beast, an' rarely a blessing. It all depends on yore view o' it."

"So…to…to my father, it's something horrible that killed my mother. But to my big brother, it's…it's…" Silver couldn't think of any reason, as she had just known Argento for a short period of time, so Shellhound supplied it for her.

"Te Argento, 'tis a chance te prove his worth."

"What?" Silver asked.

Shellhound sighed and sat down, indicating that Silver should as well. She did so as he spoke again. "Ever since 'e was born, 'e was expected te do great things cos 'e was th' son of th' High Rhulain, yore mum, an' th' pride o' th' Streambattle Holt, yore pa. But 'e never really excelled at anythin'. 'Twas a great disappointment. 'E tried harder, 'e really did. Spare time? T'wound spar or practice 'is skills. No enjoyment, no fun. 'E rarely even 'ad time te enjoy brekkist."

So…fulfilling this…PROPHECY would prove that he's NOT a great disappointment to two of the mightiest otter clans, the Wildlough and the Streambattle, right? But…what IS the prophecy EXACTLY? What does it have to do with my mom?

"That, I dunno. Argento never told me. Jus' said, **_'You'll find out in due time'_**. Huh, next day, 'e's up and left afore anybeast awoke."

"He left?" Silver asked. "Why did he leave?" Shellhound was silent, so Silver asked another question that had been bothering her for quite some time since she had spoken to him. "Who did he want to prove his worth to?"

"Rick Streambattle." He finally said. When Leatho spoke no more, Silver knew the conversation was over and the lone survivor of the Shellhound Holt would speak no more of the subject.

"Thank you." She said, as he closed his eyes and leaned back again the ash tree. Getting up, she headed back to where Brom and Brioka were still arguing to share this information and somehow understand it all a bit better.

Once she was out f both view and earshot, Leatho opened his eyes and opened up his closed paw to reveal a sapphire blue stone. He had been a pickpocket since the age of 3 seasons, when his whole clan was slaughtered and he was all alone.

Of course, he had stopped when Green Isle had been taken over by those darn cats, as pick-pocketing them would only resolve in them harming any of the young otter kits from other Holts. Though he was easily the youngest of all the otter clan warriors, he had fighting abilities and battle strategic wisdom beyond his seasons. Not to mention, he had a reputation as an outlaw, so he couldn't just endanger the ones he watched over.

It had been quite the surprise, he remembered, to discover that the High Rhulain was not a myth, and that she had been a few seasons older than him. He had assumed she be much older, as old as 20 seasons or so.

He held up the stone to the sun, its light pouring down through the colouring of the smooth polished stone. His eyes widened as he recognized it upon further inspection. Lowering his paw, he flicked his wrist and the stone was flung into the pond, sinking deep as soon as it touched the water's surface.

Leatho could only look grim and bite his lower lip, as his mind swarmed with questions, the first of them all being: _How did Silver come to possess the stone of Healing and Destruction?

* * *

_

The vermin blocked the road back to Redwall, and Silver held Brioka's paw tightly, scared out of her wits. She had never encountered such vermin, some with fearsome tattoos on their fur, scars hideous beyond imagination, brass earrings and super-sharp cutlasses. Brioka looked at her comfortingly and squeezed gently, as though to give her some of her own strength. Secretly, Silver was relieved she had a friend like Brioka.

Brom muttered something in Brioka's ear and raced off as the she-squirrel lit up like a candle as she nodded furiously, let go of Silver's paw and stood herself in front of Silver, whipping out a small dirk. "Silv, do you have a sling?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with—"

"Just shut it and pass it to me!" Brioka hissed angrily. Silver was shocked at her friend's unusually harsh tone, but complied, nonetheless. Brioka wasted no time placing the dirk blade between her teeth and catching something that Brom threw at her. Her paws worked so fast that it was practically a blur. When it was finished, Silver's small sling had been transformed to a mediocre sized bow. "Best I could do on such short notice…" She muttered, catching an arrow that Brom had stolen from one of the vermin with a hefty blow with his rudder, and dived back into the stream, and appearing back next to the squirrel and in front of Silver.

The vermin began advancing towards them. Brioka gritted her teeth, as she notched the arrow to the bow and waited. There weren't any openings that would allow her to inflict a lot of damage to the rats, stoats and foxes with just one arrow.

Argento pulled out a leather cord from around his neck. At the end was a silver whistle. Flipping the cord over his head, he blew into it and glared at the vermin. "That sound from the Whistle is your passage to Hell's Gate. It ensures your death."

"Gettin' cocky now, are we?" A rat hissed. He smirked and Silver shivered at the bloodlust in the air and her elder brother's eyes. It held no mercy.

"Nope. Just know that I'm a Messenger of Death. It's one of the abilities that I gained. Once every 1000 seasons, a Facemaker is appointed the position and granted the Whistle to play the song of Death to the ones dying." He held the whistle in his paw tightly and it immediately turned liquidy and morphed into a long stick (LOOKS LIKE NYOIBO (sp?) FROM DRAGON BALL. GOKU USES IT) made of pure silver. "I am a Silver Master. I have absolute control over it. Now die."

With speed unmatched by any other beast in the world, Argento slew all the captains with as much grace as one could use. A beast could almost say that he had just walked towards them and shoved his metal rod into each of them, killing them. Of course, he was too fast for the naked eye, so it was impossible to tell. Argento stood amidst the pile of gory, blood-covered, dead vermin.

"I am Argento...the Silver Master, Facemaker...and the Messenger of Death. Run all you like..." He addressed the retreating vermin. "But Death will conquer you...and if you're lucky, it won't be by my paw..."

"Brother?" Silver whispered. He glanced at her, and she shivered, making his eyes soften.

"Sorry...about that..." He walked off, not looking back.

"Big brother?" she whispered, her eyes never leaving his retreating back.

Not even when he stopped and muttered something to Leatho at the gates and left in another direction left did her eyes leave him to look shakily at Brioka and Brom for support. Brioka's lips were drawn into a thin line and her eyes narrowed while Brom's face lost its usual cheery grin and he looked stoic. "Come on, Silver." Brom said finally. "I believe it's time we asked Shellhound what's going on."

"Any more things like this could result in everybeast's deaths, Silv." Brioka informed her firmly, when the silver-furred ottermaid tried to protest. "And…it's best if we really know the prophecy thing your dad and Argento were arguing about. You've told us basically the basics, but I think this draw more onto something else. What's wrong, Silv?

Silver had been scared, and had reached into her pocket for the stone, for some comfort, but her paw met nothing but the bottom of the pocket. Now her face was of worry and shock as she frantically dug into her pocket. Finally, she looked at them both, looking like she was about to cry.

"Mother's stone…is gone…"

Brioka and Brom gave each other a stern look and nodded, each gripping Silver's arm and frog-marching her back to the abbey. "It's ok…we'll find it." Brom encouraged.

"Yep. You can count on us."

As the three passed Shellhound who was on gate duty, the she-squirrel glared at him, as though trying to discern what he was thinking and what Argento had told him. Brom patted Silver's back awkwardly and it was a deadly silence in the abbey courtyard before Leatho spoke.

"Do ye really want to know the prophecy? I can't guarantee the truth will not kill ye."

All three of them nodded and spoke in unison, as though they were all only one beast. "Yes."

"But remember…most of all…" Leatho's eyes narrowed as they all sat down. "Do not repeat this to anybeast, unless ye wish for everybeast to die painful and horrible deaths."

Silver gulped. Suddenly she wasn't so sure this was such a good idea. Unbeknownst to her, Brioka and Brom sitting beside her were thinking the exact same thing.


	10. Prophecy of the Facemaker

**Author's Note:**** Sorry it's been so long, peoples! And guess what! The ****Prophecy of the Facemaker's prophecy is MY creation! ME, the MOST HORRIBLE RHYMING person EVER! I can't believe I actually created it! I'm so proud…**

**And, do you all notice I'm changing the ages and plotlines and Holts more and more, eh? That's because I stray from the plot and despise it!**

**BOOOOOO, DOWN WITH THE PLOT, ALWAYS BLOCKING MY IMAGINATIONS!**

**Forgive me if you don't understand it. I understand completely if you stop reading anymore chapters of Silver's Tale.**

**Ah well…**

**Enjoy! And reviewing affects my inspirational-filled uploads.**

**THIS IS 6 PAGES! WOW!

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**Prophecy of the Facemaker**

_**By: biacebaolck**_

"Argento whispered this'n thin' intae my ear. Dunnoe what 'tis means, ye've heard it an' tha's it."

"Alright! Enough with the putting-offing stuff!" Brioka nearly screamed. Secretly, Brom and Silver had to agree. Shellhound had been trying to put it off with riddles. "Tell us what he really said!"

" '_Don't follow me. If you wish to know my destiny, look for the Facemaker scroll.'_ That's what 'e said!" Shellhound threw his paws up in the air. "If ye won' believe me, I won' go abou' tryin' te convince ye!" He stood up and left in a huff.

"Brioka…" Silver said quietly.

"I don't think that was a good idea…" Brom started.

"Shut. Up." A demonic aura surrounded the she-squirrel and both otters backed away slowly. "NOW COME ON YOU TWO! WE'VE GOT THE FACEMAKER SCROLLS TO FIND!" And with that, Brioka dragged Brom and Silver at breakneck speed to the gatehouse.

* * *

Girry was taking a short nap when Brioka flung the gatehouse doors open. "Whagahuh?! What in tarnation is going on!"

"I'm really sorry about this, Girry…" Silver apologized before Brioka ran her big bossy mouth.

"HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ON THE FACEMAKER SCROLL?!"

"Facemaker scrolls?" Girry winced, with temporary half-hearing loss. Fortunately, with Brioka's loud yelling, it wouldn't be a problem for him to hear…unfortunately, there went his hope of having his ears intact before he reached retirement from being the abbey recorder. "Facemaker? Sounds like something that your whatshisname Facemaker brother would know."

"Well…" Silver was debating on how to explain this. She was saved from the task when the most likeliest thing happened.

"YOUNG MISS, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU NOT TOUCHING THOSE PRECIOUS SCROLLS!"

"SO WHAT?!" Brioka yelled back as she continued, taking out random scrolls and scanning them before stuffing them impatiently back in their place. "THEY'RE OLD! THEY'RE BOUND TO GET RUINED AT **SOME** POINT!"

"YES, BUT I'D LIKE THEM TO STAY THAT WAY FOR GENERATIONS!"

"LIKE STRAWBERRY-JAM SMEARED?!" Brioka thrust one particularly smeared with strawberry-jam scroll in Girry's face. "AND SINCE I DON'T SEE ANY FLIES AND WHAT NOT, I'D SAY THAT THIS WAS **RECENT**, FROM AFTERNOON TEA!"

"Oh dear…they're really arguing…" Silver said.

"And she's ignoring the fact that our poor ears are still developing." Brom grumbled, getting major ticked off."Yo, short-tempered she-squirrel. It's obvious he doesn't know anything about it and it's not here, so why don't we check out that library?"

* * *

"Remind me…next time…" Brom gasped hoarsely as he was dropped at the floor of the library alongside Silver. "to not point out the obvious anymore."

"Haha…"

"It's not funny…I mean it…"

"I FOUND IT!!!" Both winced, but slowly stood up and ventured their way to Brioka who was reading a scroll excitedly. "THERE'S NO MISTAKE! THIS IS IT! SEE! LOOK AT IT! READ IT! JUST PLAIN READ IT AND TELL ME I'M A GENIUS!" She thrust it into their faces.

"Like heck I'd call you a genius. You're more of an empty-headed she-squirrel." Brom commented. He was rewarded with an introduction to the floor. A rather painful one.

Silver took the scroll and it aloud, her eyes opening wider and wider with each stanza.

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_**The Facemaker Scroll**_

The Prophecy of the Facemaker 

_When thy mother hath gone to eternal rest_

_Know this, Facemaker, for thy final test_

_Midnight, go to the calling sea_

_There, thy destiny will be waiting for thee._

_Follow thy instincts, whether bold or meek_

_Follow thy ancestors' path, or die like the weak._

_A murderer_

_A wanderer_

_A Death messenger_

_A savior_

_A warning_

_A Silver Master_

_A warrior_

_A brother_

_A traitor_

_A loner_

_A Facemaker_

_All these, thee must be and more_

_Until the end of thy path, thy roving shore_

_At the end, thee will be_

_Finally able to rest in peace for eternity._

_But be warned, Facemaker, where thy footpaws tread_

_Happiness will not follow for anybeast_

_When and while silent tears are shed._

_The path is thine to choose_

_Where will thee go?_

_Only thoust can only know.

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_

"You're a genius, Brioka." Silver breathed, resulting in a "HA! BEAT THAT, IDIOT!" from Brioka to Brom. "But…" She reread some of the stanzas and lines. "But this part doesn't make sense…"

"Who cares?" Brom said, sitting up and massaging his aching jaw mournfully. "We've found the scroll. And stuff like this, ancient stuff, I mean, isn't supposed to make sense."

"No, no, no. You misunderstand me. I meant…" Silver showed them the line.

" '_When thy mother hath gone to eternal rest'_…" Brioka read. "What's wrong with that, Silv?"

"Nothing, except…" Silver bit her lower lip. "Except…Argento said that he left us, my father and mother and I, when he was three and I was two…but then…mother died when I was three so…why did he leave? I mean, the vermin attack was…when…I was…" Her voice quieted down to a small, barely audible whisper. "Only three…my mom was killed…"

"Hrm…" As ignorantly loud and as bossy as Brioka was; as ignorantly stupid like guys usually are as Brom… Both understood the need not to press Silver on to continue. Finally, Silver found the courage to start again. ((NO OFFENSE TO YOU GUYS OUT THERE! I JUST MEANT, TYPICAL GUYS ARE SOMETIMES IGNORANT OF A GIRL'S FEELINGS!!!))

"Well…maybe you were about to turn three, and on the day that you turned three seasons, Argento saw your mom die, knew it was time to go and left, and then that's how it happened."

"That actually makes sense for once! Good job, IDIOT!"

"I AM NOT AN IDIOT!!!" Silver smiled…and started laughing as the two continued arguing. Life was good.

Of course, she was still being naïve…as life can never stay good long enough for you to enjoy it.

* * *

**IT'S A BONUS, PEOPLES!!!**

_We all might change…_

_And argue constantly…_

_…at some point or another…_

_…but that doesn't mean…_

_…we're going to back down just yet!_

--**The team motto of Brioka, Brom and Silver.**

**Brom:** HEY! HOW COME BRIOKA'S NAME IS FIRST?!

**Brioka:** Oh, I don't know…maybe it has something to do with you being an IDIOT?!

**Silver:** Guys…

**Brom:** TAKE THAT BACK!

**Brioka: **_MAKE_ME, IDIOT!

**Silver: **We shouldn't be--

**Brom: **SURE! HAND ME A DIRK AND I'LL PLUNGE IT INTO YOU!!

**Brioka:** HA! YOU WIELD A DIRK AS WELL AS YOU CAN SEW!

**Silver:** I don't think this is a good example for the readers and--

**Brom:** I'M A GUY!! I DON'T SEW! AND YOU'RE ONE TO TALK, YOU'RE A GIRL!!!

**Brioka: **WELL, AT LEAST I'M BETTER AT THE DIRK THAN YOU, NUMBSKULL!!

**Silver:** I really don't think this will boost our reviews—

**Brom: **WHAT?! SAY THAT AGAIN, I DARE YOU!

**Brioka: **SURE THING, NUMBSKULL!

**Silver:** This won't boost up the stats so you can stop--

**Brom:** AND THEN THE SQUIRRELQUEEN'S DAUGHTER IS AS FULL OF ROYALTY RUDENESS AS HER MOM!

**Brioka: **I'M LIKE MY MA?! SAY THAT AGAIN, I DARE YOU, AND THEN I'LL KILL YOU!

**Silver: **I don't think killing Brom is good for a K+ rated story--

**Brom: **SURE! YOU'RE LIKE YOUR ROYALTY RUDENESS FILLED MOM!

**Brioka: **I'LL SLAUGHTER YOUR NECK WITH A KUNAI, TOSS YOUR BODY INTO MOSSFLOWER STREAM AND BLAME IT ALL ON ARGENTO!!

**Silver: **Hey! Don't blame my brother--

**Brom: **I THINK A LITTLE FACE REARRANGING IS IN ORDER FOR YOU, MISS PRISSY PANTS!

**Brioka: **CALL ME MISS PRISSY PANTS AGAIN AND I'LL **PERSONALLY** REARRANGE YOUR FACE, IDIOTIC NUMBSKULL!

**Silver: **We really shouldn't be arguing--

**Brom: **YOU WANT TO CALL ME THAT TO MY FACE, MISS PRISSY PANTS?!

**Brioka: **IDIOTIC NUMBSKULL, I **ALREADY** DID!

**Silver: **(sighs as they begin fighting each other) Why ME? Why HERE? Why NOW?!

**_Blackbolt52003:_** Because I like teasing you!

**Silver:** (groans) Until next time…see you readers later! (starts yelling at Blackbolt52003)

_**(THE CURTAINS CLOSE UNTIL NEXT TIME)**_


	11. Argento

**Argento**

_**By: biacebaolck**_

"Brioka…" Silver wondered aloud. "What would your mom think if you're nowhere to be found?" Obviously, the silver-furred otter was thinking about what her mother would've thought as well.

"Nothing." The she-squirrel replied curtly. "Because she won't know I'm gone."

"What do you mean? Surely whatever you're planning will take no more than two or three hours?"

"I mean," Brioka grinned mischievously, in a way that Silver automatically knew that something was going to go totally wrong with whatever her friend was planning. "I'll be there and back and she won't even think to GUESS that I even left the abbey grounds!"

"But Bri—"

Before Silver could continue, Brioka opened the window, hopped out and onto the branch outstretching there, racing down the tree trunk. Sighing, Silver made the bed as if somebeast was still sleeping in it. Knowing full well on a lot, on her best friend, Silver knew that Brioka would come back around mid-night and just plop on it, the instant she hit the bed, the instant she would fall asleep. So it was best to take precautions, just in the case the Squirrel Queen decided to check on her daughter.

Though, that was only for what Brioka called, 'Things that would take only a minute or so'.

She gave the outside of the window one last look before settling into her bed (which was next to Brioka's and closest to the door) before falling fast asleep after a few minutes after her head lay down on the pillow and as she worried for her friend.

It was a long night. The longest Silver would ever remember, for she woke up ever few hours, not sluggishly, but startled upright and awake at every little sound that sounded like her roommate who was currently gone.

As she placed her head back onto the pillow, Silver sighed before drawing the covers closer around her body. "Long night…" She muttered, having awoken half-asleep and drowsing back to the world of dreams.

* * *

She was shaken awake after what seemed like only a few minutes after she had lain her head back down, but judging from the light that fell from the window, Silver immediately realized it was near afternoon tea time as she cracked one eye open. 

"FINALLY!" She jumped right out of the bed, falling into a crumpled heap on the floorboards, her ears ringing. Brioka sighed impatiently. "YOU sleep like a log."

Silver was about to retort that, she, normally, in normal circumstances, did not 'sleep like a log', as: a) logs were not living ; b) logs were inanimate ; and c) she normally didn't wake up several times in the middle of the night worrying that her friend had no way to get back in. But she just sighed and picked herself up, dusting off her clothes.

"Get dressed." Brioka told her in a tone that made Silver wonder if she should dive back under the covers and never come back out as long as Brioka was still standing around. "We're gonna go finding." She grinned, before leaving the room.

"Find what?" Silver called out as she exited the doorway.

"You'll see!" Brioka's voice echoed back.

Silver sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. This was going to be a loooooong day.

* * *

"Say what?" Brom asked in disbelief as Silver ventured out into the abbey grounds in search of her friends and came up to them. "You want us to what?" 

"I said," Brioka snapped impatiently. "We're going to—"

"I heard you the first time, oh-crazy-theif-one—" Brom snorted, getting cut off by Brioka's tail flicking him off his feet angrily.

"What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing," said Brom, before Brioka could open her mouth to answer her. "Just that this _wise young squirrel_" his voice sounded forced and full of sarcasm, which Brioka certainly did not miss. "has—YOWCH! Don't hit me!—anyway, she says we should go and find Argento!"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, huh! I mean, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS ARE GOING TO GO AND FIND THIS OTTER WHO COULD BE ANYWHERE?!" Brom yelled as he stood up so quickly, Silver thought he had just teleported there. His glare was full of anger.

"We are." Brioka glared back, but her voice was held back and she said the words calmly. "I am, in fact, very concerned—"

Brom snorted.

"Okay, maybe I just wanna find out what all this business is about Facemakers and all that stuff—"

Brom snorted again.

"Okay, then, maybe I just am, out of concern and curiosity. I wanna find out if he's hurt or—"

"_COU_Hypocrite_GH!_" Brom coughed, feigning dry throat. "Sorry 'bout that! Continue! _Cough!_" Silver gave him a look that clearly stated of disbelief, but Brom shrugged, giving her a look that clearly stated, '_you know it's true, you certainly do, don't you'_. Thankfully, Brioka didn't hear that 'hypocrite' in his first cough.

"I swear, out of the goodness in my heart—" She began.

Brom snorted. Silver couldn't help it. She coughed, but in a slightly more polite way, into her fist. Brioka gave them both a look that clearly asked, '_what's with you guys?'_ Brom cleared his throat and began to answer to Brioka's unspoken question.

"You're not so innocent as you think you are." He smirked.

"Neither as you pretend to be. I'm as innocent as you." She responded rather coolly and at that, Brom's smirk faltered.

"Are you saying I'm scared?!"

"I'm not saying that. You said that yourself." Brioka smirked superiorly, in a matter-of-factly way.

"You asking for a fist in the face?!" Brom stomped forward, drawing up a sleeve so that his fist was free of any cloth.

"Are _**you**_ asking for one?!" Brioka stomped forward as well, moving up her sleeve and waving her fist in the air. Both of their noses nearly touched as they glowered indescribable hatred towards each other's mind, body, and soul for what seemed like eternity to Silver.

It was, in fact, only a few minutes.

"_**Whoever finds Argento first wins!**_" Both shouted in unison, before rushing off to pack.

Silver was left alone. With a soft sigh, Silver walked back to abbey after them, desperately wishing that they weren't doing what she thought they were going to do, but when she saw them, with their packs packed and ready, she faltered, but, nevertheless, gave in to their persisting. Somebeast would have to make sure they didn't murder each other as soon as out of the abbey's sight.

"Oi!" Rick called out as they headed to the abbey gates. "Is summit th' matter?"

"Nothing!"

"Where're ye going a' such a fine day an' hour?" Shellhound asked as he and Rick traded blow for blow, each time they forced weight onto the blades simultaneously and glowered at each other, like they wanted to rip each other's throat's out.

"We're going to visit Argento!" Brioka called out truthfully, yet not so truthfully at the same time. "He knows we're coming!" Actually, in reality, Argento had no knowledge, whatsoever, that his little sister and her two best friends were going to hunt him down, down to his last tooth, claw and only rudder.

But, somehow, to Silver, Rick's glare was nothing compared to the one full of deep hatred and loathing…the one he had given Argento at first glance.

* * *

"Just to recap on this…" Brom murmured. "I think…" 

'_I don't like this…'_ Silver shivered. Then, she looked down, even though, only seconds beforehand, Brioka said not to. Then, she got dizzy. They…they…they WERE SO HIGH UP! You'd be scared too if you were edging along, back to the rock, on some sort of path that just barely was the width of your paw, and were walking on a reaaaaaallly high chasm following a leader who doesn't even now.

"C'MON now, IDIOT!" Brioka shrieked, water soaking her as the waves grew higher. Yep. As luck would have it, all three of them were next to an ocean, RIGHT as the tide decide to come as tidal waves and just HAPPEN to keep on hitting them. "MAKE UP YOUR STUPID MIND!"

"Um…um…" Brom winced, as he rubbed his head, the spot smarting from where a stray rock had been hidden in a water wave. "I forget…" Brioka twitched, before kicking him face flat onto the—bad move. Brom fell over the edge.

"BRIOKAAAAAAAAAAAAAa!!!!!!" Silver shrieked. Her best friend was going to be a murderer!

"QUIET!" Brioka shrieked back. She was now grasping Brom by his neck and flung him into the air at a 45-degree angle at full strength. She grabbed Silver by the arm and made them run like hell, the poor silver-furred otter flying, her legs flailing behind her as Brioka expended unnecessary energy. "Phew!" Brioka dropped Silver on the ground, falling on all fours. "Mother…" She breathed rather heavily, just as Brom landed with a rather scary **BOOM**. A Brom-shaped whole was in the ground.

"Wow." Brom laughed from his position with his facing the sky and his back flat on the solid mountain ground. "The day Brioka says 'mother', in a non-hateful way… I didn't think I'd ever live to see that."

Brioka threw a stone at his head. Brom rolled to his side to dodge. With a huff, she started throwing random stones at him, but he dodged, each and every time, a mocking and cheeky grin on his face.

"Guys…" Silver's heart was pounding. She swore, she had just had 15 seasons knocked off her life. Her voice was sore and barely audible. And the wind blew their way, and because they were all wet, it seemed colder and harsher than before. All three shivered, Brioka in mid-throw.

"Let's get some shelter." Brioka said, standing shakily up and looking around. Brom chose that exact moment to sneeze. "Over there, then." Brioka pointed.

"Cavern… Hey, did you hear the joke about the cavern--?" Brom was hit once again by Brioka.

"This is NOT the time!" She sighed. "I barely even know how to-- I should've brought that book!"

"A…a book?" Silver sneezed and Brioka gently led her into the cave.

"Yeah. I study at least that one interestedly. That one tells you how to survive like this. Anyway… Stay here." She ordered, before going back out to retrieve Brom.

Once the trio was once again reunited, Brioka drilled her brain for whatever knowledge she had gotten from the book, before leading them all a little further into the cavern, away from the shrieking winds. Then, with the help of some flint and some wooden logs they had picked up from the back of the Abbey that had been discarded, after what seemed like a long time, Brioka finally started a fire.

"Sooty and dirty… It's times like these that I could use a ba---" Brioka stopped and started yanking her fur.

"Full of self-loathing that you nearly said that you'd like a bath, eh?" Brom sighed. "Yeah…"

"Well, what's our plan?"

"Plan? That's easy!" Brioka was healed enough to answer Silver's question. "We go find your brother, beat some sense into him if we need to, and drag him back to Redwall abbey!"

"That's stupi—ERK!" Again, Brom was hit multiple times before being put into a strangle hold by the she-squirrel. He made frantic moments at her arms, trying to dislodge them, but a stubborn, angry…and super ticked off Brioka wasn't going to let him go just yet. She started stomping on his rudder too.

Tears sprouted from Brom's eyes as he turned sort of blue. Finally, Silver managed to separate the two, and with a sigh, she fell back against the cavern wall. "Jeez…can't you guys spend at least HALF a day not fighting?"

"No." Brom and Brioka answered, as though it was quite obvious. To be honest, it was.

Silver sighed again and hugged her self, the flickering flame of the firelight, her eyes half-closed. "I don't know why…" She mumbled. "Do you even think my big brother even _cares_ about me?"

"What's to say he doesn't? After all, you're his little sis, right?"

"I _know_ that, Brioka, but that was just…it was only a few hours we 're-met'. To be honest, I don't even remember even SEEING another otter."

"You were _two_, Silva." Brioka said reassuringly. "It's alright. Hard to remember stuff when you were just a few seasons old."

"I know…but…"

"The light's dying." Brom pointed out the obvious, like he seemed to be doing more and more often nowadays. "We'd best get some sleep. We'll need to wake up bright and early tomorrow if we want to catch up to Argento."

"Took the words right outtalk my mouth." Brioka commented. "'Kay…" She yawned, before curling up, her bushy tail becoming her pillow. "Silver, why don't you take first watch? Then, you can sleep better."

"Okay." But Silver replied too late. By that time, both were still asleep.

* * *

"YOWZA!" He whistled as he stared through the tall grasses on the mountain hill to the pathway down below. 

"What's up?" His companion asked.

"Check out those beauties down there!"

"…uh…Derek? One of those 'beauties' seems to be the most likely to punch your lights out and leave you hanging on a cliff and never giving a care about your wants and needs if you even are going to marry her, which is the unlikeliest thing to happen unless Argento suddenly decides he doesn't want to become a full-fledged Face maker anymore. And you _know_ how much he's always—"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Derek the gray squirrel brushed it off. "You should find yourself a good girl, Marko. Seems that one is a good match for your reserved personality, you're royal—"

Marko hit Derek down. "IDIOT!" He hissed. "Argento said we'd leave at quarter sun! Hurry up, and I don't want another royalty crack coming from that bulge you _call a MOUTH!_ Got. It?!"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Let's go then."

Marko left Derek muttering, "Come on, I'm pretty handsome, y'know?" as he followed the other back to the ship.

* * *

"What took you?" Argento asked, aiding them on board the ship. It had already taken off, but Argento had put the ship to a stop when Derek had tried drowning Mako. Surprisingly, his idiotic ploy of the century containing a life, had worked. 

Oh, and Argento gave Derek Mako's duties for trying to kill a fellow crewmate.

"But 'Gento—" He whined.

"Unless you want me to use a sharp pointy silver stick and stick up your behind and through that bulge of which you call a mouth, you'll do it, and you'll like it." Argento said, whirling the silver casually through the air, but catching it easily with expertise. "And don't call me that if you want to live a long life with kids."

"I like it, I love it…I love this…" Derek muttered as put the sails down. "I like this…I love it…everyone's out to get me…I like this…I love it… Mako must've told 'Gento about that insult…I like this…I love this…they're all out to get me…I like this…I love this…I hate—"

"What was that?" Argento asked loudly from the center of the deck, he and Mako poured their souls over a map and a compass.

"NOTHING!"

"Better be." He growled warningly.

And all that Mako thought was, '_How in the blasted seven seas did __**I **__get stuck with idiots who barely know how to turn a boat around or even stop it without somehow breaking the mast in the process? Derek nearly broke that sail…it'll take ages to repair it… I think I'm better off doing my OWN duties…'_

But aloud, he said, "C'mon Argento, we have to set a course."

"Yeah."

"I like this…I love this…I—"

"Kindly keep ramblings to your mind, Derek."

"Yessir, 'Gento."

"…"

"…I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT, DARN IT! **YOU'RE GOING DOWN, SQUIRREL!**"

"_**EEP!**_"

"Serves you right."

"_**I DON'T SEE **_YOU_** HELPING ME ESCAPE FROM HIS—HEY! WAIT! WHAT'RE YOU—WAAAAABLURBGHGH!!"**_

Mako looked over the side of the ship, Argento huffing like crazy from behind him. "Argento?"

"_**WHAT?!**_"

"You do know he can't swim, right?"

"…"

"….uh…"

"…get him back on board."

"But you just threw—"

"NOW!"

And Mako wondered, as he helped a coughing out water Derek, what the heck was wrong with Argento. He hated to say this, but somehow, one of the gang had suddenly turned hostile. '_I just hope Leader doesn't kill him._' He thought grimly.

That should've been the last of his worries as they started the course.

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, I know this story sucks like crazy, eh? I mean, I haven't updated in a long time. I'm sorry, but my inspirations haven't been coming to my Redwall stories at all...**

**I know, I know. I'm sorry, but I'm serious. I'm making up all the plots of my Redwall stories as I go, and I'm figuring, well, since I can't really think of much to write for **Backlash's Story **or this one, **Silver's Tale**, that maybe I should put them on a hiatus.**

**I know, I'm sorry...**

**Do any of you writers have ideas on how I can reclaim my inspirational spats for my Redwall stories? Thanks!**


End file.
